1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for cleaning produce. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus for separating debris from the produce. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus whereby dirt, rocks, leaves, fungicides and pesticides can be separated from the produce in a simple and convenient manner.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Produce is a generalized term for a group of farm- or garden-produced crops and goods including fruits and vegetables. Nuts, grains, oats and tubers are also considered to be produce. The term “produce” implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as when they were harvested.
Whenever produce is removed from the garden or farm, the produce often has debris from the earth attached thereto. For example, when potatoes are harvested, the potatoes will have a substantial amount of dirt thereon. When berries or other fruits are harvested, they often have number of stems and residual leaves attached thereto. In other circumstances, when such produce is a product of farming, the produce can often have certain amounts of pesticides and fungicides thereon. As such, whenever the produce is harvested, it is important to be able to scrub and clean the produce before the produce is consumed by individuals or processed further.
The cleaning of produce is a rather time-consuming, labor-intensive, and difficult process. For mass-produced vegetables and fruits, a wide variety of cleaning machines have been developed. These cleaning machines are very complicated and quite expensive. Typically, the machines will include a variety of scrubbing brushes which tend to scrape the exterior of the produce. This can actually result in damage to the produce. In other circumstances, jets of water can be directed to the produce. However, the jets of water often only contact a portion of the surface of the produce and do not effectively scrub the entire fruit or vegetable. In other circumstances, where large numbers of fruits and vegetables are being cleaned, the grouping of such fruits and vegetables will actually impair the ability to effectively clean certain surfaces of the fruit or vegetable.
For garden-produced produce, individuals will often require the use of scrub brushes or other cleaning implements in order to effectively remove the debris from the exterior of the produce. This will make the cleaning of the produce a difficult and time-consuming process. Eventually, users may grow uninterested in the complete cleaning of such produce and, as a result, will be content to leave some of the debris on the produce. Whenever debris remains on the produce, this can impair the taste of the fruit or vegetable, or result in toxic effects to the person consuming the produce. As such, it is very important to effectively clean produce in a quick, easy, and non-labor-intensive manner.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to the cleaning of fruits and vegetables. For example, an early patent is that of U.S. Pat. No. 1,964,430, issued on Jun. 26, 1934 to E. C. Eberts. This patent describes a fruit and vegetable cleaning machine that includes a mass of freely-moving sponges. A rotary screening member is rotated to agitate the mixed mass of fruits and vegetables so as to cause such fruit and vegetables to percolate through the mass of sponges. A liquid is provided to contact with the sponges. Another means is provided for separating the product from the sponges.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,286,393, issued on Jun. 16, 1942 to J. Thomas, discloses a vegetable cleaner in which a series of brush rolls are mounted in parallel relation to form a brushing bed over which the vegetables can be advanced transversely of the rolls. The rolls are driven in a common direction corresponding to the direction of advance of the vegetables. A terminal roll is driven in a direction of rotation opposite to the other rolls in order to arrest the advance of the vegetables. The spacing of the terminal roll in the oppositely-rotating adjacent roll is such that the vegetables resting on the terminal roll and the oppositely-rotating roll are discharged outwardly therebetween and in brushing engagement therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,308,775, issued on Jan. 19, 1943 to S. Olson, teaches a vegetable cleaning machine. This vegetable cleaning machine includes a drum that is open at opposite ends thereof. The drum is supported for rotation about an inclined axis. Rotary brushes are mounted inside the drum in substantially contiguous relationship to each other and with their axes extending parallel to the axis of the drum. The brushes are rotated in the same direction by the rotation of the drum about its axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,504,946, issued on Apr. 18, 1950 to J. C. Doolittle, shows a vegetable cleaning machine. In particular, this machine is designed for cleaning podded vegetables. The machine includes a plurality of driven conveyor belts arranged one below the other so that a lower belt will receive the vegetables dropped thereupon from the discharge end of an upper belt so as to form repeated cleaning stations. A current of air is directed over and adjacent to the surface of the lower belts and in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of the conveying surfaces in order to blow stalks, leaves, and other trash from the potted vegetables as they dropped from one belt to another and while they are being conveyed on and by the belts.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,578,808, issued on Dec. 18, 1951 to Johnson et al., teaches a potato cleaning and separating device. This device employs a first chamber containing a brine solution of a sufficient specific gravity to cause the heavier pieces of debris to precipitate to the bottom of the debris while the potatoes float on the surface of the brine solution. A second chamber contains only water wherein the potatoes are washed and separated from the remaining debris.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,927, issued on Jun. 22, 1965 to R. L. Dyar, shows a vegetable processing machine including an elongated drum and a means for rotating the drum. The drum rotates about an axis such that a mass of material within the drum moves by gravity to a lower wall of the drum. Elongated brushes are positioned within the drum at a location adjacent to the interior wall of the drum. The brush is rotated in a direction such that the bristles of the brush closest to the inner wall of the drum move in an opposite direction to the movement of the wall of the drum. Material within the drum is conveyed toward the brush during rotation of the drum and is progressively contacted by the drum and expelled toward the rear of the moving mass of material.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,621,573, issued on Nov. 11, 1986 to F. Lange, discloses an apparatus for cleaning fruits and vegetables. This apparatus is provided for removing damaged, skin impurities. This cleaning apparatus has a loading opening, and a housing enclosing a revolving conveyor drum which is partially surrounded by a plurality of abrasive elements. The abrasive elements serve to clean the fruits and vegetables within the housing.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0220158, published on Sep. 15, 2011 to C. T. Ho, provides a fruit and vegetable cleaning device that includes a base, a pump and a pressure vessel. The pump is mounted on the base and includes a water feeding pipe connecting a water inlet port and the pressure vessel. The pressure vessel includes a water discharge port and an electromagnetic valve. The pump supplies water to the pressure vessel to allow air to mix with the water inside the pressure vessel so as to fill the water with air bubbles. Residual pesticides remaining on fruits and vegetables will attach to the tiny air bubbles contained in the water when the water is used to clean the fruits and vegetables.
Additionally, certain patents have issued with respect to the cleaning of game. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2013/0093107, published on Apr. 18, 2013 to R. Funderburg, discloses a fish and game washer that is designed to wash and clean meat. The meat is put into a bucket and a water source is connected thereto. Air is sucked in in order to mix with the water. This causes the meat the float up from the bottom and the and begin to toss and tumble. This takes the loose scales, feathers, blood and debris over the top of the bucket.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0127986, published on May 8, 2014 to W. Cady, describes a cleaning device that uses water pressure to prepare fish and wild game for consumption. A bucket is described as having a conduit affixed to a wall thereof. The conduit can be connected to a source of water pressure such that the water pressure is directed into the interior of the bucket so as to interact with the game within the interior of the bucket.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for cleaning produce that efficiently and effectively separates debris from the produce.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for cleaning produce which serves to pressure wash the produce.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for cleaning produce which can effectively remove debris, liquids and dissolvable solids from the produce.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a apparatus and method for cleaning produce that avoids the need to hand wash and scrub the produce.
It is still further object of the present invention provide a method and apparatus for cleaning produce that effectively catches the debris after it has been removed from the produce.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.